BELGRADE, November 22. /TASS/. The decision by President Joe Biden’s administration to authorize Ukraine to fire US missiles deep into Russia has led to global escalation and shock, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in an interview with Radio and Television of Serbia.

"The escalation caused by Biden’s decision is shocking and truly has no place in 2024. We could also interpret this as the old administration trying to complicate potential negotiations for the new President [of the US Donald Trump]. <…> I am a person who wishes for the establishment of peace and the beginning of negotiations, as the current situation is indeed reckless for the entire world," the prime minister emphasized.

The Slovak prime minister also rejected the belief that this escalation would not impact "those living far away, in Spain, England, or America."

As Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on November 21, the US and its NATO allies had previously announced the authorization for the use of long-range precision weapons, after which US and British missiles were fired at Russian military facilities in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. According to Putin, Russia retaliated by deploying its new intermediate-range ballistic missile called the Oreshnik. Russia targeted Yuzhmash, a Ukrainian defense enterprise located in the city of Dnepr (formerly Dnepropetrovsk). The Russian leader emphasized that the provocative policies pursued by Western countries could lead to severe consequences for them if escalation continues.